Cam rotary engine power system of internal combustion type

Abstract

A cam rotary engine power system of internal combustion type, making use of the cam and a plurality of cam followers to form cam mechanisms, and forming a plurality of circumferential distributed sealing working chambers with the inner-cavity-member, the external-rotating-surface-member and the end-cover-member. The volume of those chambers change with the relative rotation of the cam and the cam followers, in which the intake, compression, power and exhaust processes of the Otto cycle are completed by valve coordination. The chemical energy produced by gas combustion is directly converted into the mechanical energy of the rotor in the form of fixed axis rotation. The power system does not set the crankshaft of piston engine, and the high pressure gas directly drives the rotor to rotate and output power. The structure of this power system is relatively simple and its parameters can be adjusted in a wide range.

1 . A power system of cam rotary internal combustion engine, comprising an inner cavity member, an external rotating surface member, a cam, end cover members, cam followers, valves and valve controllers; wherein, rise and fall intervals of the cam's contour profile causing size change of the cam surface, an annular clearance with varied dimension being formed by encircling the cam with the inner surface of the inner cavity rotating surface member, the outer surface of the external rotating surface member and the end cover members, in which the coupled surfaces form the contact sealing relationship except the cam contour profile; the cam being fixed with one of the inner cavity member or the external rotating surface member and rotated relative to the other; a set of cam followers being installed on the inner cavity member or the external rotating surface member which is not fixed with the cam, sealing contact being formed by a higher pair joints between the cam followers and the smooth cam contour profile surface, so as to separate the annular clearance into a plurality of sealing working chambers along the circumferential direction;
 under the control of valve controllers, valves being used to connect the inlet and exhaust ports in each chambers, and to control flow direction of fuel or spent gas in an orderly manner; by controlling the timing of the valve switch and the volume change of each working chamber, the intake, compression, expansion and exhaust phases of Otto cycle being completed periodically; in the expansion stroke, the chemical energy produced by fuel combustion being acted on the cam contour profile and cam followers in the form of high pressure, so that the mechanical energy being output by the two in the form of relative rotating motion.   
     
     
         2 . The power system of cam rotary internal combustion engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the cam contour profile is a smooth and closed surface constructed by tracing synchronously changing generatrix around an axis on the inner or outer surface of the rotating body, and the contact between the cam follower and the cam keeps sealing during relative rotation. 
     
     
         3 . The power system of cam rotary internal combustion engine according to  claim 2 , wherein the cam contour profile is a radial cam formed on the surface of a base cylinder with a plane curve generatrix, an axial cam formed on the end face of a cylinder, or a cam formed on a spherical body. 
     
     
         4 . The power system of cam rotary internal combustion engine according to  claim 3 , wherein the cam contour profile has one or more high dwell sections and/or one or more low dwell sections, and all transition areas of the cam rise and fall intervals make the cam follower free from rigid impact and/or flexible impact when moving, that is, no step change in velocity and acceleration curves; and the arc length corresponding to the high dwell section and/or the low dwell section are close to or equal to the arc length corresponding to the contact ends of the adjacent two cam followers. 
     
     
         5 . The power system of cam rotary internal combustion engine according to  claim 4 , wherein the cam follower are in type of translating or oscillating, or of plane motion, whose contacting end with the cam are chosen from smooth curved surface, roller or combination equipped with a movable swing head, whose number is greater than 2, and whose structure is single body, multi-piece or multi-segment combination. 
     
     
         6 . The power system of cam rotary internal combustion engine according to  claim 5 , further comprising cam follower capture-release devices, the function of which are to timely seize or release cam followers to realize flexible control of the working process; the arc corresponding to the high dwell section or the low dwell section grows longer than the arc length corresponding to the contact ends of the two adjacent cam followers; meanwhile, the follower capture-release device and valve controls are achieved electromagnetic or mechanically. 
     
     
         7 . The power system of cam rotary internal combustion engine according to  claim 1 , further comprising ignition devices and/or a fuel filling devices, the ignition devices are arranged in the corresponding position of the combustion chamber when the mixture reaches a specified compression ratio, and the fuel injection inlets are arranged in the corresponding intervals between the intake process and the compression process. 
     
     
         8 . An engine comprising the power system of cam rotary internal combustion engine according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling an engine, wherein, the method is applicable to the control of cam followers and/or valves in the power system of cam rotary internal combustion engine of  claim 8 .